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Computer Glitch Stalls Anti-Gay Amendment To Florida's Constitution
Conservative efforts to amend the Florida constitution with an anti-gay marriage law stalled this week. The amendment's backers have fallen 22,000 signatures short of the 611,000 necessary to place it on the ballot this coming November. Supporters now have only until Feb. 1 to collect additional signatures. But with such a tight deadline, the proposal seems near impossible for 2008, the Miami Herald reported today. The proposal would need 60% of the vote to become law.
Florida4marriage.org, the conservative PAC pushing the initiative, hoped the proposed amendment would lure conservative-leaning voters to the polls during the general election.
Computer glitches are being blamed for the signature shortfall. State officials and election officials in the Miami area are both blaming each other for the glitch which apparently was caused by "over-counting" or counting each vote twice. The news of the glitch had the office of Secretary of State Kurt Browning checking out the state's computer system, and Miami-Dade elections chief Lester Sola was quoted as saying he had warned the State Dec. 21 that his county' tally needed "recounting."
It was only three weeks ago that the Orlando-based Liberty Council announced - with great fanfare - that it had collected enough names to assure the amendment's placement on the Nov. 4 ballot. The proposal to amend the Florida Constitution made national headlines.
John Stemberger, chair of the Liberty Council and a well-known attorney for conservative causes, said, "The fight will continue." However, the group apparently is out of financial resources to wage a statewide effort and can no longer depend on the Florida Republican Party to fund its campaign. Since GOP Gov. Charlie Crist - known as a moderate - took office, the party has stopped giving the group cash.
Opponents took the news of the name-counting glitch apprehensively. "There are still those out there who would like to take away our personal liberties," said Stephen Gaskill, spokesperson for Florida Red and Blue, a statewide non-partisan group organized to fight the petition. He added that his group is positive Floridians don't want government this deeply involved in their personal lives, but said citizens should be wary of the Feb. 1 deadline.
In a widely distributed press release, Jon Kislak, chair of Red and Blue, urged caution. "Supporters of the so-called Marriage Protection Amendment have been collecting signatures for four years. They have had ample time to turn in sufficient signatures to qualify their petition. The law is clear that they must have the necessary number of signatures certified before February 1. We will continue to watch with great interest their efforts. We have every reason to believe that the various Supervisors of Elections will take all actions necessary to protect the integrity of the petition process and to ensure that every signature certified is a valid signature."
Florida already bans same sex marriage, but the Liberty Council says the constitutional amendment is needed to fight potential lawsuits. The amendment would have gone even further than one passed in Ohio during the 2004 presidential election - an issue that helped deliver that state's electoral votes to George Bush, and with them the presidency.
The Florida proposal, according to its opponents, would have affected not only gay couples but also heterosexual domestic partners, legally recognized in some areas of the state, and would mean insurance programs, hospital visitations and death benefits, and other citizens' rights would be terminated.
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Got to love that compassionate Christian conservatism. Got to make things as difficult as possible for those who don't share their belief system.
WHO would want to marry the beauty carrying the sign in the photograph? She's not Audrey Hepburn. Rather than spewing hate, she should go back to the trailer park, take a long shower, WASH that hair, and give serious thoughts to dieting and fashion. She's no pin-up for heterosexuality.
Does god really look and sound like George Burns?
Many seniors living in Florida no longer consider the
GOP to be Family Friendly.
These parents and grandparents have dearly loved children and grandchildren who are gay and unquestionably accepted by them. JUST LIKE CHENEY!
There are groups of seniors are ready to go after the GOP for raising HATE campaigns. The GOP may have finally met their match.
GOOD LUCK TO THEM.
One would hope that Floridians might see through this Rovian ploy to draw voters to the polls by placing a wedge issue on the ballot. About the only candidate it could aid would be John McCain, as Ruliani has dressed in drag and set up housekeeping with gay friends, and Shuckabee has come out of the closet as a Dangerous Lunatic who wants to rewrite the Constitution to reflect what Jeebus would do. When will the electorate grow up?! When will voters see these dirty tricks for what they are?! Looks like the Karlovian Legacy will be with us a bit longer than one might have thought (and certainly longer than hoped).
Sounds to me like they were running a scam that was discovered, and they are trying to blame it on a "computer glitch." With this crowd, you can pretty much figure they are conning everyone as much as possible to get what they want.
No WAY we can trust them to be on the up and up! Those people and their ilk are all about cheating and stealing everything they can lay their hands on.
It shows you how petty the Republican party has become when gays marrying is a real issue! If it weren't so serious it would be laughable. When are these people going to grow up and move past the infantile issues??????
Anyone who believes they can decide over someone else's sexuality seems not to realize they have then given someone else the right to decide over their own.
Here is a state with too much time on its hands and nothing in its head .
Amazing how many people are sure what Jesus would say or do in a given situation! Many or most of these people probably never darken the door of a church or read the record of what He said and did. To the woman taken in adultery He said, " Go and SIN no more." If one quotes Jesus it naturally follows that one cannot pick pr choose. Either you take all that Jesus taught or you take nothing. Jesus said," He who is not with me is against me." There is no middle ground or fence riding.
The same book (Leviticus) condemns wearing clothes made of two different fabrics... Oh God! The horror! There's a remarried woman wearing blends and eating a shrimp salad sandwich! BURN HER!!!!!!!
Yeah, the Bible is a great manual for modern society.
And I'm Marlon Brando.
God is watching over Florida!!! Now if our country would only do something to help the mentally ill. We are getting rid of the stigma surrounding homosexualtiy. We need to get rid of the stigma surrounding mental illness.
The Republicans need to read the TRUE BIBLE instead of making up their own.
Jesus NEVER allowed his Disciples to hurt other people and he didn't allow the town to stone a woman who had committed adultery. But the REPUBLICANS have a right to DESTROY anyone they don't like.
Leave the Homosexuals alone - they have enough problems. Science proves that they are born like this. LISTEN TO JESUS for once in your life.
hum...counting trouble in florida...who could imagine...
I think gay people should pay less state and federal income tax since they receive fewer rights guaranteed by law than their straight counterparts.
As for Florida, as a Texan I wouldn't want to waste valuable vacation time in a place more humid than Texas, much less waste time and money in a place that tries to legislate hatred and discrimination.
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